1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for bracing pipes and other loads, suspended below ceilings and beams, against sway and seismic disturbances, and, in particular, to a sway brace fitting for firmly gripping a brace.
2. Background of the Related Art
There is a multitude of products in the market utilized by building and plumbing contractors for bracing and supporting pipes, ducts, sprinkler systems, fans, air-conditioners and other loads from ceilings and beams. These products include clamps, braces, hooks, straps, plates, brackets, among other items. There are various types of braces, for example, pipes, channels and angle irons, with pipes being the most commonly used. Typically, one end of a bracing pipe is attached to the load utilizing, for example, a clamp or a bracket. The other end of the bracing pipe is connected to the ceiling or a beam. The manner in which this connection is made to the ceiling or beam and the components used are important in determining not only the load-carrying capacity of the brace but also influence the time and labor expended in installing the brace.
There are many types of sway brace fittings and related components in the prior art. One commonly used sway brace fitting has female threads which engage one end of a correspondingly sized, threaded bracing pipe. Such a design limits the use of the fitting with threaded pipes only and can also restrict its load-carrying capability. Additionally, the use of a threaded pipe, as compared to using a similar unthreaded pipe, undesirably adds to the cost of the sway brace system.
Another popular sway brace fitting employs a nut-bolt combination to secure the bracing pipe. This involves drilling a hole through the bracing pipe prior to installation. The bolt traverses the fitting and the bracing pipe and is secured in place by the nut. Disadvantageously, the labor and/or time consumed by such an installation is an undesirable additional expense.
Other sway brace fittings use a set screw which perpendicularly engages the wall of a bracing pipe and, thereby frictionally retains the bracing pipe. Some of these fittings may alternatively employ set screws with a cone point which perpendicularly digs into the bracing pipe wall for additional load-carrying capacity.
While some of the above-mentioned prior art sway brace fittings may be attachable to braces other than a bracing pipe, such as angle irons or channels, this attachment would generally require the use of an additional structural attachment component, thereby undesirably adding to the complexity and cost of the sway brace system and its installation.
Thus, there is a need for a versatile sway brace fitting which can not only withstand substantial loads, but is also attachable to a variety of bracing members, is simply and expeditiously installable, is economical to manufacture and, hence, is desirably inexpensive.